Simultaneously-adjustable nozzle and intermediate for turbines.



UNITED STATES Patented August .4, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

OSCAR JUNGGREN, OF SOIIENEGTADY, NEWV YORK, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

SIMULTANEOUSLY-ADJUSTABLE NOZZLE AND INTERMEDIATE FOR TURBINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. '7 35,109, dated August 4, 1903.

Application filed December 26,1902. Serial No. 136,532. (N model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, OSCAR J UNGGREN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Schenectady, county of Schenectady, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsiu Simultaneously-Adjustable Nozzles and Intermediates for Turbines, of which the following is a specification.

Owing to the unequal expansion and contraction of the Wheel and easing parts in an elastic-fluid turbine the stationary and moving elements sometimes rub on each other, and if the rubbing is continued the parts will be destroyed. It is a serious matter in any case, but more especially when the buckets rub, because the slightest contact will ruin them. It sometimes happens that a wheel will rub slightly on a stationary part when it is first started, but later when up to speed will run free. This is probably due to some irregularity in the wheel, which is counteracted wholly or in part by the centrifugal action. In such cases the adjustment of the parts requires great care and a large amount 2 5 of experience on the part of the .workman. It is imperative at times to keep the turbine in operation, which necessitates the adjusting of the parts when the wheel or wheels are rorating. These wheels commonly have a pe- 0 ripheral velocity of from three hundred to four hundred feet per second, andthe adjusting of any given part toward or away from them is a delicate matter, especially where small clearances are providedsuch,

5 for example, as two to six hundredths of an inch. Heretofore the nozzle has been mounted on one head of the casing, and the only way that it could be adjusted toward or away from the wheel-buckets was to put shims between it and its support, which meant running the risk of getting it out of line. In certain other cases the nozzle could only be adjusted by stopping the machine and taking off a part of the casing. Manifestly such expedients are far from satisfactory, and especially in the hands of other than the most skilled workmen. The intermediate buckets are usually mounted on a suitable support, which is capable of being adjusted independently of the wheel and nozzle.

that any trouble requiring adjustment of the It is evident I intermediates would also require adjustment of the nozzle, assuming that the parts were originally properly adjusted. Such an arrangement requires that two sets of adj ust- Theme be made, each requiringaset of measurements from a different datum point, and any failure in making these adjustments due to inaccurate measurements results disastrously.

The present invention has for its object to combine the nozzle and intermediate buckets in such a manner that they can be simultaneously adjusted to compensate in alinement for changes due to temperature or other causes.

For a consideration of what I consider to be novel and my invention attention is called to the accompanying description and drawings attached thereto, wherein Figure 1 represents a partial longitudinal section of a turbine. Fig. 2 representsasection on line 2 2 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 3 is a section through the nozzle and one of the rows of buckets, taken on a plane at right angles to that of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a detail view of the means employed to adjust the nozzle and intermediate buckets. Fig. 5 is a slight modification wherein the nozzle and intermed-iate- 8o bucket supportare made separable. v

1 represents the casing or shell which surrounds the wheel 2, and it may occupy a yertical or horizontal position. It is provided with an opening in one side'through which projects the support for the nozzle and the intermediate buckets. The wheel is provided with a number of rows of wheel-buckets 3 of any desired formation, and between the buckets in each row are the working passages 0 through which the motive fluid passes. In the present instance the buckets are formed on segmental rings, which are secured to the wheel-flange by bolts 4. Each row of wheelbuckets is provided with a cover 5, whichjis 5 separated from the stationary parts by a suitable clearance. It is to be noted that the width of the segmental bucket-rings 6 is slightly greater than that of the buckets 7, the object of this arrangement being to prevent the sharproe ened edges of the buckets in the adjacent rows from engaging with each other in case the wheel gets slightly out of line. In the present instance any rubbing would take place between the covers 8 of the intermediate buckets and the ring-like supports 6 for the wheel-buckets. The intermediate buckets 9 may be formed integral with the covers 8, or they may be separable therefrom. In the presentinstance they are formed integral and are secured to the support 10 by bolts 11. (Shown in dotted lines.) The support 10 is provided with an inclined face curved in the arc of a circle for receiving the intermediate buckets, and in this manner a gradual enlargement of the Working passage from the nozzle to the exhaust is provided to compensate for any increased volume of fluid due to a decrease in pressure. The support 10 is provided with flanges 12, that engage with the wall of the casing 1. These flanges are slotted, and mounted in these slots are retaining-bolts 13. By means of this arrangement the support 10 as a whole can be moved up and down to a slight extent or one end can be moved slightlyin one direction while the opposite end is moved slightly in a different direction. In other words, the support 10 is universally adjustable to a limited extent. Owing to the character of the figure only two retaining-bolts are shown at the line of section; but it is to be understood that as many of these bolts are employed as is necessary to make a steam-tight joint.

Formed integral with the support 10 is a nozzle 14, which is arranged to deliver steam or other motive fluid to the buckets. This nozzle may be of the expanding or non-expanding type, as is desired. It is preferable to divide the nozzle-opening into a number of smaller passages or sections-such, for example, as is shown in Fig. 3--as such an arrangement is conducive to high efficiency. The fluid from the several passages issues practically in the form of a single stream and strikes the first row of wheel-buckets and imparts motion thereto. The fluid is then discharged into the passages between the intermediate buckets, which in turn changes its direction and discharges it against the adjacent row of wheel -,buckets, and so on. The nozzle and intermediate buckets being carried by the same support are capable of being simultaneously adjusted with respect to the wheel-buckets to compensate for any changes in the position of the parts due to changes in temperature or other causes. It is to be noted that the pitch of the wheelbuckets is the same as the pitch of the inter mediate buckets and nozzle and that a slight clearance is provided between all of the moving and stationary parts considered in a plane parallel to the shaft. When the parts are properly adjusted, the same clearance should exist between the moving and stationary parts at all points. In order to adjust the parts with precision, and particularly when the turbine is in operation, the support 10 is provided with one or more projections 16 on opposite sides, with which engage the adj usting-bolts 17, that are carried by projections 18 on the wheelcasing. The adjusting-bolts are provided with check-nuts 19 to retain them in a given position. By rotating one set of bolts more than another one end of the intermediate support can be given a greater movement than the other.

It is sometimes desirable to adjust the nozzle and intermediate buckets independently of the conduit that supplies motive fluid to the nozzle. In order to do this, the conduit 20 is provided with a slotted flange, which is secured in place against the support 10 by the retaining-bolts 21. By slacking off these bolts slightly the nozzle and intermediates can be raised or lowered, as the case may be, without interfering with the steam connection, after which the bolts can be seated and the parts will be retained in place. Opposite the end of the conduit the support 10 is cut away slightly, so as to render accurate alinement of the conduit unnecessary.

I have shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3 the nozzle cast integral with the support for the intermediate buckets. This construction has the advantage of reducing the total number of parts in the turbine and also of decreasing the number of machined surfaces. At times, however, it is desirable to make the nozzle and the intermediate support in separate pieces. This is done chiefly to allow of the use of different metals and to facilitate the machining of the nozzle-passages 15. WVith certain sizes of turbine it is possible to cast these nozzles with the passages properly formed but in other cases the passages require considerable machining, and when the nozzle is cast integral with the support it is somewhat difficult to get at. The under surface 22 of the nozzle shown in Fig. 5 is machined and is adapted to engage with a corresponding face on the support 10. The nozzle is held in place by bolts or other suitable means. It is to be observed that in this case, as in the one previ-' ously described, the nozzle and intermediates can be moved longitudinally with respect to the wheel-shaft as a unit. and that the exact relation between the nozzle and the intermediate buckets is at all times preserved. Owing to the fact that the nozzle covers a number of wheel-buckets, it has to be curved to conform to the curvature of the wheel, as is indicated in Fig. 1. In order to reduce the leakage between the nozzle and the wheel due to the clearance at this point, a spill-ring 23 is employed.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes I have described the principle of operation of my invention, together with the apparatus which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof; but I desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown is only illustrative and that the invention can be carried out by other means.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. In an elastic-fluid turbine, the combination of a bucket-wheel, a nozzle, intermediate buckets, and a means whereby the nozzle and intermediate buckets can be simultaneously adjusted with respect to the Wheel.

2. In an elastic-fluid turbine, the combination of a bucket-wheel, a casing therefor, a nozzle, intermediate buckets, a support therefor which is fixedly united with the nozzle, and means whereby the nozzle and intermediatebucket support can be adjusted with respect to the wheel-buckets.

3. In an elastic-fluid turbine, the combination of a bucket-wheel, a casing therefor having an opening, a nozzle and intermediate buckets both of which extend through the said opening into the wheel-chamber and are in operative relation to the wheel-buckets, and means for attaching the nozzle and the intermediate buckets to the casing.

4. In an elastic-fluid turbine, the combination of a wheel having rows of buckets thereon, intermediate buckets mounted on a support and arranged to extend between the rows of wheel-buckets, and a nozzle for delivering motive fluid against a number of wheelbuckets, the intermediate-bucket support and the nozzle being simultaneously and correspondingly adjustable.

5. In an elastic-fluid turbine, the combination of a bucket-wheel, a casing therefor, a nozzle and intermediate buckets for directing the discharge of motive fluid against the wheel-buckets, the said nozzle and intermediate buckets being simultaneously adjustbuckets, a casing for the wheel having an opening, intermediate buckets detachably secured to said casing, a nozzle also detachably secured to the casing, and means whereby the nozzle and intermediate buckets can be simultaneously adjusted with respect to the wheel-buckets.

8. In a turbine, the combination of a Wheel having a number of rows of buckets, and a nozzle and intermediate buckets which form a unitary structure, the nozzle being arranged to deliver motive fluid to the side of the wheel and the intermediate buckets to direct the "passage of fluid from one row of wheel-buckets to another.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 24th day of December, 1902.

OSCAR JUNGGREN.

"Witnesses:

BENJAMIN B. HULL, HELEN ORFORD. 

